Calgary family who thought struggles with Sunwing Vacations would ground
travel plans, is set to depart. Kamil Karamali explains.
Sunwing refuses cancellation request

A family fearing the Zika virus will affect their unborn child can't get
a refund on a flight to Cuba. Kamil Karamali has details.

Jackie Dunham, CTVNews.ca
Published Friday, May 12, 2017 8:09AM EDT

A Calgary family denied a refund for a trip to Cuba after an unexpected
pregnancy will still be able to enjoy a nice getaway together thanks to
the generosity of a competing airline.
The Aburtos had planned to fly to Cuba on Thursday, but their plans were
derailed when Leslie Aburto discovered she was pregnant in the days
leading up to their departure date.
Cuba is still fighting the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus,
which can cause serious birth defects in the fetus if a pregnant woman
becomes infected.

Leslie and her husband Wilfredo were unwilling to take a chance on the
health of their future child, so they decided to cancel their trip. When
Sunwing told them it was against their policy to issue refunds or
transfer tickets for last-minute cancellations, the Aburtos thought they
would be out more than $6,000.
But a manager at Air Canada in Calgary heard about their story and took
pity on the family of four.
"It just tugged at my heartstrings and I just thought we would see what
we could do to help them," Mark Dantu told CTV Calgary on Thursday.
Air Canada offered the Aburtos free tickets to Los Angeles, Calif. and
the family gladly accepted. Now, Leslie and Wilfredo will be taking
their 17-month-old son to Disneyland on Friday, while their eldest son
is in Cuba for the original vacation.
All in all, the family will only lose approximately $3,000 on the
Sunwing package and they will still be able to enjoy a trip away together.
"You know, we're just overjoyed," Leslie said. "There are no words to
even really describe it."
With a report from CTV Calgary's Kamil Karamali